Ringling College of Art and Design Faculty Member Selina Román will exhibit Abstract Corpulence, which draws from the artistic genres of photography, self-portraiture, and installation to explore and challenge conventional ideas of beauty and the plus-sized female body. Curated by Rangsook Yoon, Ph.D., senior curator at Sarasota Art Museum, the exhibition will be on view at the Museum from August 31-March 29, 2025.
Using her own body as the subject, Román creates tightly-cropped compositions that deconstruct the human figure into a series of abstract shapes and forms. Wearing pastel bodysuits and tights, the artist transforms her flesh into undulating landscapes and still-life compositions by photographing her body in a series of unconventional postures. The result is an intimate, provocative, and dreamlike installation that invites viewers to consider the human figure from a point of true abstraction and inquiry.
Román has long been interested in portraiture, often choosing women as her models. According to the artist, she loves photographing people, putting her subjects in strange positions, and emphasizing the essence of the portrait through fashion and prop selection. In this exhibition, however, it’s the artist herself who is in the crosshairs of the camera lens. Román says she has avoided self-portraiture for years, but now finds the approach freeing both artistically and psychologically.
“I think self-portraiture may be the most challenging genre of artmaking,” shared Román. “To turn the camera on ourselves takes a good deal of bravery. In these images, we reveal ourselves in a multitude of ways.”
Roman’s evolving artistic process has led to a shift from single-frame photography to composite images that border on collage. This new approach allows for greater control and scale, resulting in photography that is at once meticulously crafted and emotionally raw.
“Here, my body is the environment,” Román explains. “It’s too big again, but this time, that’s the point. This is what I want people to feel: that bigness is not a flaw. It’s a presence.”
While Roman’s newest exhibition is very personal, it’s also widely accessible.
“I find it thrilling when people connect with the art on view and bring their own experiences, memories, and stories to the work,” shared Román. “I create the initial meaning, and then my viewers create their own layers of meaning.”
“This exhibition is another example of how, as part of Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota Art Museum is able to draw on the talents and expertise of our accomplished colleagues to ensure that our exhibitions are exciting and compelling,” shared Executive Director Virginia Shearer. “In the past, we’ve been able to engage the talents of faculty like Joe Fig (Contemplating Vermeer, 2024) and Jamie DeRuyter (Future Now, 2025). This season, we are pleased to be bringing these wonderful photographs by Ringling photography faculty Selina Román to the Museum to share with Sarasota locals and tourists alike.”
In addition to being a faculty member at Ringling College of Art and Design, Román is a proud Floridian and Tampa Bay-based artist. Her work is currently in the collection of the John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, The Tampa Museum of Art and Hillsborough Community College, as well as numerous private collections.
Román will give an opening-day talk about the exhibition on Saturday, August 30, from 11 am-12 pm at Sarasota Art Museum’s Sarasota High School Alumni Auditorium. Learn more or buy tickets on the Sarasota Art Museum website. Ringling College students, faculty, and staff can attend for free, but must reserve a seat.
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